Land across the Sea
by Ladyofthebookworms
Summary: If Mossflower is based on The British isles, and Green Isle is Ireland, then what if you sailed to America? Plot is slight, but there if you look closely
1. In which we meet our main characters

Hi all! This idea has been rattling around in my head ever since High Rhulain, but I'll leave you to figure out what it is.

Disclaimer- I do not, have never, and most likely never will, own any part of Redwall. It belongs to Brian Jacques. Don't sue.

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Two seasons before this writing, a sea otter captain by the name of Lyfo Seaseek gathered a crew and set sail in his ship, the _Seaseeker_, to search for new lands beyond the sunset. This is the record of what happened…

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Procy Onida watched the ship coming ever closer. He couldn't tell from this distance if it was a pirate ship or not. Few ships ever came near his home, and the ones that did were mostly unfriendly.

He gathered the fish he had caught so far, and headed back to the den and his mate, Vora and their four kits. If it was pirates, woe betide them if they came on _his_ territory!

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Kithkin grabbed the bow rail and leaned forward, willing the ship to go _faster_. As the land mass grew steadily closer. Kith didn't want 'steadily' Kith wanted _fast_!

Six months at sea does that to a squirrel. She wanted the rolling beneath her footpaws to be windblown trees, instead of a ship's deck. And she was very tired of rationed water and no fruit.

Pawsteps coming up behind her shook her out of her almost sulky thoughts. Captain Lyfo Seaseek, a tough sea otter with a large sword slung over his back, rested his paw on Kith's shoulder.

"'Ere now, wot's all this grumpy face for? Ya' ain't eager to get off me ol' _Seaseeker_ yet, are ya'?"

Grinning impudently at the captain, of whom she had become very fond during the long two-season voyage, Kith replied;

"Eager? Me? Stars forbid! After all, you've only sailed us through five storms, had us land on three uncharted islands, one of which had natives with cannibalistic tendencies, and also…"

Lyfo roared with laughter.

"Oh be off with ya', impudent rogue! You wouldn't 'ave missed it for anythin!

Ya' can't fool me, I know ya' too well."

Kith was saved face by the ship sailing toward the high cliffs, and Lyfo striding off, shouting orders to turn to starboard and look for a safe port.

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Procy's mate, Vora, watched as the _Seaseeker_ sailed into the cove. Her ear twitched as Procy came up behind her.

"Think you they be pirates, Vora?" Procy churred in question.

"They be not pirates, Procy. See you there? An otter and squirrel there be. Never have I seen an otter or squirrel pirate."

Procy nodded.

"You be right, Vora. Think I that these be merchants. It has been long seasons since the last merchant ship."

Vora watched closely as Kith began to gather a foraging party.

"Think I that these be travelers from far across the Big Water. See you? The squirrel looks not like the squirrels here."

Procy pondered this, as Kith's party came quite near them to fill their water casks. They both drew back into better hiding.

"Think you, Procy, our kits should stay hidden till we know more of these strangebeasts?"

Procy nodded and pulled her toward the den.

"Think I that you are right."

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Chocolate to those who guess what Procy and Vora are! Hint- it's Latin

Edit- I hope this fixes what was wrong before, my computer wouldn't let me enter any documents on for the longest time.


	2. In which we find an animal unknown

Hi all! Elspeth25 was the only one to guess right! hands Elspeth25 big bar of chocolate. But all guesses were good. The raccoon's talking is slightly copied from Suzanne Collin's 'Underland Chronicles'. Which you ought to read, after this.

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Kith could hardly keep still long enough to help her foraging party fill the water casks. Land at last! Though she felt as though the land was rocking beneath her footpaws, she danced with joy. Lute, a sinewy female otter, laughed merrily.

"What's wrong, Kith? Miss the land?"

Kith laughed with her and stopped dancing.

"Of course, haven't you? Oh wait, I forgot, you're a 'sea creature' and don't need the land."

Lute handed her a flask of water.

"Got that right mate. 'Ere, no more rationing."

Kith downed half the water in one gulp, sipping the rest slowly as she looked around at the strange forest.

"This looks a lot like Mossflower. D'ya think we might have gone right 'round the world and come over the other side of it?" Lute was grinning as she said this. Lyfo, being quite the explorer, had started an idea that if you started sailing in a straight line you could right 'round the world back to where you started. Most considered this nonsense, but Kith thought he might have something.

She ignored Lute's teasings and, looking around, shook her head.

"We didn't really come far enough, I don't think. And also, these trees don't look familiar." She dug in her tunic pocket and drew out a small book and some charcoal sticks. She walked over to a shrub, and started sketching it.

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Loto, the oldest and most inquisitive of Procy and Vora's kits, watched the strange squirrel. He was quite puzzled by what she was doing. Drawing a bush? What animal in their right mind would want to do that? There were bushes all over!

Creeping closer, he tried to look over her shoulder and maybe see what she was doing it for…

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Kith finished her sketch of the shrub, and looked at it critically. Perhaps she ought to add color. She wished she knew what it was called, or perhaps she ought to name it herself.

As Kith was running possible names through her head, the bushes behind her trembled slightly. Pretending she hadn't noticed, Kith made sure the charcoal didn't smear and put it and the sketchbook back in her pocket.

Keeping her voice friendly, she spoke to the air;

"Hello, I'm Kithkin. I've come from across the sea. What's your name?"

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Loto shrank back, trying to keep himself from being seen. He almost ran away, but then the squirrel called again.

"I wont hurt you, promise. I would actually like to talk to you. Ask you a few questions iffin you've a mind to answer them."

Loto crept a tad closer. Squirrels _were_ friendly and she didn't look as though she'd eat him….

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Kith had met many strangebeasts in her extensive travels, but this was an especially strange one. He was gray, with a slightly white face, that was mostly covered with a black 'mask' extending over his eyes. His tail was ringed with black stripes.

She wasn't surprised to see that he was a Dibbun, she had been introduced to many tribes by their little ones. He sat up, looking at her face, with a distinctly nervous expression.

"Um. Greetings Squirrel Kithkin."

Kith blinked. A very polite Dibbun.

"Hi you, what's your name?" she said, kneeling down to look him in the eye.

"I be Loto, I be. Say you that you come from over Big Water? Was it a long trip?"

"Yes actually, it did. What are you Loto? We haven't got animals like you at home."

"I be a raccoon, I be. No raccoons where you come from? What have you then?"

Kith laughed,

"We've too many animals to list!"

Loto had got his courage up now, raccoons aren't known for being timid.

"What squirrel be you? No squirrel red-colored have we here. Seen I sea-otters, but no such squirrels. Is your fur like that naturally? Or does the Big Water make it so?"

Laughing hard, Kith tried to answer all his questions as soon as he said them,

"I'm a Red Squirrel, yes my fur is like this all the time, and the sea water wouldn't change it."

By this time Kith had been missed. Supper was being cooked, and Lute was calling for her. She got up with a sigh.

"I must be going, Loto. Perhaps we will talk again?"

Loto was pushing back into the shrubbery.

"Mayhap, Squirrel Kithkin. Tell my mother of you, shall I."

And he was gone.

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Latrans Coyo cracked a bone between his teeth. Newcomers. Strong ones. His pack needed more slaves, the woodlanders were getting ideas and weren't as compliant as they had been.

He spat out the bone and padded out of his den. Time to raise the pack.

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Okay, raccoons are from the family **'Procyonidae' **of the species 'Procyon **loto**r', from the order 'Carni**vora**'. Now, following that pattern, see if you can find out what Latrans Coyo is. Many and much thanks to SkiffleCraze who was kind enough to beta for me.


	3. In which we have our first cliffhanger

And I introduce a new character here! These recordings will pop up from time to time, when I feel the need...

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From the log of Dren Aver, recorder of the _Seaseeker's_ voyage and…

Oh for heaven's sake, writing my titles makes my paw cramp!

Today Kithkin wanted to go off by herself, to catalogue new 'vegetation', and possibly find the Dibbun she met yesterday. Lyfo, naturally, said that this was much too dangerous. She needed a group with her.

A shouting match ensued, with Kithkin saying that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, and she perfered to explore alone, and wasn't that why Lyfo had asked her to come, for star's sake? Lyfo replied that he picked her out for her 'know-how' of traveling, but just because she was used to traveling doesn't mean that she can go gallivanting off all on her lonesome in uncharted territory!

It would've been quite dull if they weren't shouting.

In the end Lute and I went along with a slightly grumpy Kithkin.

The forest around us would have seemed very like Mossflower, if it weren't for the unknown trees, bushes, flowers, and such. And we would have made better time if it weren't for the fact that Kithkin stopped every few paces to sketch new plant-life, and pick samples from them. And I suspect she took much longer then she needed. Probably hoping we'd get impatient and go on without her.

When we had been walking for an hour or so, Kithkin and Lute tensed slightly, and started looking around surreptitiously. I have never been accused of being a warrior, but even I could tell that something was following us. Kithkin pushed aside some bushes suddenly, revealing…

The oddest little Dibbun I have ever seen.

Kithkin grinned at him; "Hi you. You were very good, I didn't hear you till just now."

She introduced Lute and I to Loto Onida, a 'raccoon'.

"Greetings, Otter Lute, Mouse Dren." Said he. "I follow you, see what you doing. Make sure you don't go into the wrong territory. If you strangers you can't tell who's territory who's."

We all glanced at each other. He was right, and we all knew it.

By now I was tired and all for heading back to the _Seaseeker_, but I might as well have been talking to the wind, as tell that to Kithkin. I have yet to meet a more impatient or stubborn beast.

As we walked, Loto kept asking her why she was drawing plants, why she took pieces of them, not even the parts you could eat, and she answered his questions, returning with her own such as what were these plants called, and what did his family use them for, and such forth.

I was just considering turning around and finding my own way back, when a dark head poked out of the bushes to my left!

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Alright, alright it's short, don't kill me! This is just the waaaaay it goes...anyway I wanted a cliffie.


	4. In which we find more suspense

Thanks to Skifflecraze for her help with this chap and (blush) the previous one. And doubtless the ones after.

Disclaim-to deny or repudiate intrest in or connection with (i.e. I do not own Mossflower country, or aforesaid idea of)

Disclaimer-a statement, document, or the like that disclaims

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Kith tried not to show that she was startled, while she mentally kicked herself. That was twice now that she'd been surprised, and the next time might be her last.

The head blinked at them,

"I see a squirrel, an otter, and a mouse. I don't know them, what does it mean I wonder?" He noticed Loto. "Now then coon kit, you're in the company of strangebeasts, what does it mean I wonder?"

Loto waved.

"Er, hello, Skunk Meph, these are newbeasts from across the Big Water. Squirrel Kithkin draws plants and writes their names down, Mouse Dren writes what happens, and Otter Lute makes sure they both don't get killed," glancing at Kith, he cocked his head, "That's all, right?"

Kith tried not to laugh,

"Um…yes, you've gotten it all."

Meph bobbed his head at them all. He was mostly black, with a white stripe down his nose, and two more extending down his back.

"Nice to meet you all, I see what it means now. Travelers, adventures, seekers, questers, whatever you call them, come to call and see what we do? Fascinating."

Dren was peeking out from behind Lute, seeing that the skunk was not about to attack them he came out.

"We're very sorry for trespassing sir, we'll be going now," he said in a rush, trying to tug Kith away, while she ignored him. Meph blinked at him now,

"Why would you do that? Been long time since I had any new visitors," he beckoned them and turned back into the forest. "C'mon now, follow me."

Loto followed without a second thought. Kith and Lute glanced at each other, shrugged, and followed, while Dren wished he was somewhere else.

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Latrans cursed. Now the strangers were with the skunk. He couldn't risk his pack's noses yet, they would have to get at the strangers later. He signaled his pack and they slid back into the dense forest.

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Procy carefully washed the string of trout in the stream, thinking over what Loto had told them the night before. These strangers had come to explore, not a foreign concept to Procy at all, and the squirrel had been friendly to Loto. No need for mistrust anymore, now was the time for questions and curiosity.

Slinging the cleaned fish over his back, Procy trundled back to the den. After depositing them with Vora, he crept through the dense underbrush and peeked out at the ship, which was being worked on by the otter crew. Standing to his full height, Procy sauntered out into the middle of them, acting as if he had every right to be there. Which, technically, this being HIS territory, he did.

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The mark of a true captain is his or her way of responding to the unexpected. As his crew all stared at the strange animal that had just walked casually into their camp, he stepped forward with his paw outstretched in greeting. "'Ello mate, m'name's Lyfo Seaseek, who might you be?"

Procy graciously took his paw. "I be Procy Onida, I be. Where be the squirrel girl my boykit met, where be she?"

Lyfo sat and gestured for Procy to do the same. "Yer guess is the same as mine, mate. Kith took off couple'a hours ago wit some friends, an' I 'avn't seen her since. I won't be worried 'til dark, she always does this. There a reason ya wanted her?"

Procy had been observing the camp curiously while listening, but Lyfo's explanation caught his full attention. "Go off did she? Few friends had she? Not good, this is not good, the forest is buzzing with news of your arrival, it is. Be watched she will be, her and her friends. Unpleasant beasts there are, slavers they be. Know you of the Coyotes, know you?"

Lyfo shook his head. "We've no beasts by that name where we come from, what sort o' beasts are they?"

Procy wrinkled his nose and snorted. "Be they bullies, mostly. The Pack-leader, though. Be he a dangerous one, always looking for slaves be he. Sometimes eats them or lets his pack when no food is to be had. Bother MY family he does not, coons be dangerous beasts, though we don't look it. But the smaller families, the unaware strangers, he takes them and hard to escape it is."

Lyfo stood quickly and gestured to his crew. "Aden, Enby, and Mari. Yer wit' me. We're finding' Kith before anythin' else does.

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Is this long enough to make up for the last one? I hope not, cause then you lot will want more!!! (I am so evil)


	5. In which Kithkin is very annoyed

Oooooooo, lookit how long it is!! Does that make up for two nasty cliffies? No? Thought not. And I'm very sorry, Bent Archer, Dren was an...accident.

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"You were very fortunate that I found you first."

Kith was feeling slightly offended, not an uncommon state for her, but even so…

"I'm quite capable of looking after myself, Mister Meph."

Meph's face was not made for glaring, but he made a good try at it.

"What's this 'Mister' business? I'm Meph, and I will be addressed as such. And even if you are a moderately good fighter, you couldn't take on a full coyote pack on the hunt. They're very good at what they do, and if you don't know how to get away, you wont. Simple as that."

Dren was sitting by Meph's large fireplace, scribbling in his book. He looked up at this.

"What are coyotes? I've never heard of them before."

It was Loto, stretched before the fire, very much at his ease, who answered,

"Have you foxes, have you? Coyotes be bigger foxes, and twice as cunning. Live they in packs and hunt together."

Dren gulped.

"B…bigger then foxes? More dangerous?" Turning to Kith and Lute, he said in a rather pleading voice, "_Please_ can we go back to the _Seaseeker_ now?"

Meph smiled at him, "You're safe now, no coyote messes with me. They value their noses too much."

Lute blinked, "Their noses? What do their noses to do wit' anythin'?"

Meph smiled a secret smile, "That be for me to know, and you to find out, Ottergirl."

Kith sullenly sat down, and glared at him. "Girl? And what's that?"

Meph smiled, "A female, what else? What do you call females, that you don't know the word for them?"

Kith, still sulking, just glared at him, and it was Lute who answered; "We call 'em 'maids' for the most part, Meph."

Meph chuckled, something he did a lot. "Maids? Sounds like servants to me. But no matter, if you want to go back to your ship, then we can go now." Getting up, he trundled out the door and into the forest again. Dren scrambled to his feet and hurried after him, with Loto and Lute close behind. Lute looked back at Kith.

"Coming?"

Getting up, Kith nodded, "I'm not THAT stubborn…"

Lute grinned, "Could'a fooled me."

Kith growled and chased her out.

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Latrans watched as they followed a path that would almost certainly lead to the ship. He growled to his deputy, Yapsnout, "Raise the pack quietly, we will circle and cut them off from the ship."

Yapsnout bowed, "Alpha, some scouts have seen some of the otters from the ship coming near here. They think they are looking for the three. Raccoon Onida is with them."

Latrans raised his tail, "Send the pack anyway, perhaps we can split the group in half to pick off."

Yapsnout cringed, "Alpha, they are still with the skunk…."

Latrans growled at him, "He will not stay with them once they meet up, we can get them then, five strong otterslaves!"

Yapsnout flattened his ears and went to do his pack leader's bidding.

Procy scurried through the forest, following the faint trail Loto had left to him. It was a few hours old, but still easy enough to follow, they would be catching up soon. Lyfo glanced over at him,

"I'm 'earing something', mate, a small bunch comin' this way. Coyotes, y'think?"

Procy shook his head and gestured for them to hide,

"Think I that it be your friends, but better to be safe."

The otters and raccoon faded into the foliage, watching for the coming band to show themselves…

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Meph assured them that they were perfectly safe, and they didn't have to move quietly if they didn't want to, all he asked was that they _moved_. So Loto was teaching Dren a song that his mother had taught him, and Meph was telling a now calm Kith the names of certain flowers and trees they passed.

Just as Loto and Dren were getting to a particularly loud part of the song, Lute waved for them to hush.

"There's something' following us."

Meph's nose shot into the air,

"It may be the coyotes, hurry along now…"

They hurried, Lute clutching at her bow and Kith pawing her sling. Kith glanced behind her….

And stopped altogether, laughing.

"Hi you!" She said, waving to a rather sheepish Lyfo and crew.

Loto squeaked as Procy grabbed him by the scruff of the neck.

"Leave without a word, you do. Worry your mother you do. Think you of anybeast but your own curiosity?"

Loto looked only a little abashed, "Always do it, I do. Why be it different now? Know you where I went, so why does it matter?"

Procy set him down, "Matters it that the pack is on the hunt, and they will gladly take a small one such as yourself for the pens."

Lyfo was greeting Meph and thanking him.

"Don't know what might've happened to 'em if you 'adn't come along. We're used to the places nearer our 'ome, but this forest…"

Kith glared at him, "I'm perfectly capable…"

"…Of taking care of yourself, I know," Lyfo and Meph finished for her. They looked at each other and chuckled.

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There, no cliffie. You can disband the mobs. (waves cheerily to the disapointed mob) Next chapter; we find why skunks don't carry weapons! Or, they do, we already know... Thanks Skifflecraze!!


	6. In which we discover a secret weapon

Hi you lot! Hope your Christmas was fantastic and profitable. (or whatever it is you celebrate at this time of year) As to Sabrepaw's comment on how clueless everybeast (exepting Loto) is in regards to Meph...well...let's just say they arn't anymore, bwahaha!

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Latrans growled his frustration, they had met up! He signaled his pack to circles them quietly, perhaps they could salvage this…

The pack was in a half circle, Latrans smiled, nobeasts could get away from HIS pack on the hunt! He threw back his head and howled!! The pack charged, catching their prey completely off guard…

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Procy snarled and pushed Loto underneath him, "Coyotes! Filthy dogs!"

Kith whirled her sling and drew her dirk, "Now what, Meph? Iffin you're so clever!"

Meph stepped to the front, "Lay down and cover your noses…"

The coyotes, seeing him, stopped charging and some did a few flips to keep from toppling over on him. A big male Coyote growled at them all and strode to the front.

Meph stamped the ground, raking it with his claws. "Leave us, Latrans. This is still my territory, and you are not welcome."

Procy hissed, "The only way to get here from your territory if through mine, coyote! You are breaking our laws!"

Latrans snarled at him, "I obey my own laws, coon! Spray us, skunk, and we shall tear you all to pieces!"

Meph smiled and raised his tail, waving it a bit, "At the same time? I think not, last warning, the lot of you."

Procy motioned for them to lie down, "Do as he said, thank me later you will."

The coyotes were restless, trying to decide whether to charge or retreat, Latrans glared at Meph, inwardly wondering how to back down without looking foolish, "You frighten me not, skunk, I know you hate to use that scent"

Meph smiled again, not a nice one this time, "And yet I do."

He flipped onto his front paws and the world turned a nasty yellow color.

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Kith coughed, and tried not to breath through her nose, "what…"she coughed again "What IS that!?" They were all coughing, but the coyotes were all writhing on the ground, their eyes streaming, Latrans most of all, as he had been the closest and right in front of Meph.

Meph grinned at Kith, "That, my dear, is the smell of skunk musk. We don't have to train in any weapons because of it."

Kith coughed again, "How…lucky for you…"

Lyfo glanced around at the coyotes, "Pr'aps we'd better leave while they're still like that…"

Meph nodded, "Sensible suggestion." He trundled away, kicking out at the stricken Latrans. "Mayhap you'll think twice about breaking our laws now."

Latrans wheezed at him, "You will regret this, skunk. You are now Pack Enemy, we will hunt you down and kill you when you aren't looking…" He broke off to cough, then glared at Lyfo's group. "You will serve us, this I swear, you will be our slave till the end of your miserable lives!"

Kith snorted as she past him, "I've heard variants on THAT line before, and yet here I am."

He snarled at her, "Remember you, I will tree-mouse."

They left the pack rolling in the dirt, trying to get the smell out of their noses.

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Lyfo tweaked Kith's ear as they entered the camp, "See what I told you? You may be skillful, but there's always somebeast better."

Kith pulled away, "I could've taken 'em. But the way Meph did it WAS handy."

Meph smiled as he past them, "Thanks Miss Kith, you flatter me." He turned to Lyfo, "I must be going, it was a pleasure to meet you. I hope that you find what you're looking for, what ever it is." He shook a paw at Kith, "And you, you should stop acting so tough, somebeast might think you mean it."

Kith took his paw and shook it, "I _do_ mean it! Nobeast ever lets me prove it, that's all."

Meph chuckled, "Of course."

Procy nodded to them all, "We be near, watch you we will. Be on the look out for danger should you." He shuffled into the undergrowth, with Loto, trailing behind.

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The world turning yellow is slightly borrowed from John R. Erikson's discription of his main character getting sprayed. Hilarious books those, Hank the Cowdog. Thanks Skifflecraze, bestest beta!


	7. In which somebeast has unknown motives

I'd say this is almost filler chapter, but it introduces SUCH an interesting character (I think) that it can hardly be...

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Excerpt from the recordings of Dren Aver;

I knew this would not be a vacation sort of trip, but why, in star's name _why_ , does Kithkin insist on investigating every, little thing we come across!?

It's been seven days since we left the _Seaseeker_ and set out inland, and I have been lax in my recordings, but as I tell you, you may understand.

The Onida family promised Lyfo that his ship would be safe with them, and he could leave it with no forebodings.

The second morning we were joined by young Loto Onida, who says his family is aware of his leaving (I'm sure they are by _now_) and he has their blessing. I'll admit that he has been useful in showing us certain plants that are good for cooking, good fishing places, and poison plants to avoid, such things as that. But his incessant questions! Only Kithkin seems to have the patience to deal with them all, not something I could have predicted, but she does match him question for question…

And now I'm rambling.

Nothing of great importance happened after that, except that we covered a large amount of ground and I was too tired by the end of the day to write.

Until yesterday.

As we were taking our midday a strange creature, that put me in mind of a rat, walked boldly into the middle of us. He spoke so oddly, mostly in squeaks and chirrings, that none of us understood a word, which is when we were glad of Loto, who spoke fluently to the strangebeast. Kithkin and I have insisted on being taught how to speak this dialect Loto calls _Didel_

The opossums, for that is what they call themselves, didn't welcome us very warmly, I must say. They treat Loto very respectfully, almost more then Lyfo and his crew. (Well, they _are_ rather imposing) Loto just grinned when I asked him about it.

The possums all have a grayish white fur (markings vary, and their tribal tattoos mark them even more different), faces very much like a rat's, and rat-like tails. I would say they have the disposition of rats, but that would be extremely rude, and not entirely true. They are polite, if rather cold, and we haven't been lacking in anything since we came here.

But I know we won't stay much longer, Lyfo is getting impatient, and Kithkin doesn't get along well with the possums, I rather think that we'd better leave before we're run out…

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Latrans was laying on his side, still getting over the skunk musk, as was half his hunting pack. The females had been doing most of the hunting during this time, and they were getting very tired of it.

Latrans' mate, Ami, entered the den, carrying a kingfisher in her mouth. Dropping it before his nose, she snarled at him, "Laying about during hunting hours, a week after you've been sprayed. Half the pack following your example, and winter coming up. Thinking of the village, or your own pride, hmh?"

Latrans rose to all four paws, his hackles up, "Are you questioning my judgment, Missy Coyo?"

Ami didn't back down, "Yes! You laze about all day, pretending you are still 'recovering', all the while _we _have to cover the hunting for all the pups, the males _and _ourselves! Think you that we will last much longer?!"

Latrans growl faded, she was right and he knew it. Stalking past her, tail held high, he left the den.

Loping across the coyote village, Latrans climbed onto his Meeting Rock, and howled the call for gathering.

Coming out of their dens, the pack surrounded Meeting Rock, howling their names to show they were there.

Latrans looked them over. All the males looked healthy enough, more so, perhaps, as their mates had been hunting for them. Ami was right, as her rarely offered opinions always were.

He sat and looked at each of his pack, "The time has come to search for the strangers. To show them that _we_, coyotes, are the masters of this forest. And to show that we are not to be trifled with!"

The pack howled it's agreement and enthusiasm. It probably had to do with the fact that scouts had determined the fact that the skunk, Meph had not gone with the strangers on their quest.

Latrans smiled, they were with him now.

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Ami watched her mate rile the pack. All this for a group of strange creatures from far away, Ami was slightly superstitious, and she did not like new things interrupting her routine. She slide away from the yapping crowd, and headed for the corn fields. She would have a valid excuse for not being there, as the slave-watchers would be caught up in the excitement.

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Jove, a young rabbit in her tenth season, twitched an ear behind her and snorted, "Ol' Latrans, rousing the pack again. Haven't they learned from last time?"

A middle-aged mouse named Neaj, wearing a tall basket half-way filled with corn-ears, snorted.

"Them kind of beasts never learn, girlie. Keep yer voice down, somebeast might hear you…"

"Like me, perhaps, eh slave?" Ami slid in between the cornstalks from the next row. Neaj jumped, bouncing several ears out of the basket.

"M...Missy Coyo! I didn't hear you coming up…" His words dribbled off as she looked searchingly at him, then said briskly,

"Know you the stream that cuts across the cornfield in the southern corner?"

He nodded uncertainly. "I go there everyday, Missy Coyo."

Ami nodded once, imperiously. "Fetch me a water skin full, at once." She handed him a water skin, then whispered, "And when it's full, start running and don't stop till you're a hundred leagues from here."

Neaj blinked, "M…Missy Coyo?"

Ami growled, "You heard me, go this instant!"

Hesitatingly, he took the water skin, shook off the basket, and loped toward the stream. Jove stared after him, then at Ami.

"Missy Coyo, I did need him to help me with harvesting…"

Ami glared at her, "You have been here long enough to know what happens to the older slaves, especially when newer, younger beasts are brought in." Here she stuck her face very close to Jove's, "And you shall never speak of his escape to anybeast, understand? He went for water and never came back."

Jove nodded meekly, "Missy Coyo is right, of course." She picked up the basket and easily started tossing the ears into it, after taking a few steps, she looked back at Ami, "But he is old, and might'nt get too far…"

Ami was slipping back through the cornstalks, as she called back, "Your freedom and your life are large incentives."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another thanks to John Erickson for Missy Coyo! Well, technicly he says Missy Coyo_te_ but same diff, thanks also to 'Penname Here' for letting me use her rp name (Jove. Fort Rivenwood is such a place for borrowing names), and to Skifflecraze for betaing!


	8. In which nothing exciting really happens

Cause it's a filler! Filler chap! And we learn important things, and...eh, you can read for yourself...

-----

Kith marched away from the possum camp with a sigh of relief, no more of those odd glares anymore, if she never went back there it would be too soon.

Lyfo glanced at the slim haversacks they were all carrying, "Not the most generous o' beasts, I'll say."

Loto shrugged, "Weak tribe, they are, have to protect their food they do. Not the best fighters, they prefer to disappear. Take us in, they did because my clan is strong."

Dren glanced at him, "Is that what you wouldn't tell me about before?"

Loto shrugged, "Some."

-----

At midday, Lute broke the news that they were running low on water, and until they found some…

Kith groaned, "And I thought our rationing days were over when we sighted land!"

Lute patted her footpaw, "Just until we can find a stream," she looked up at Loto. "Which shouldn't be too long."

Loto was nibbling on a biscuit when she said this, he snorted and had to spend a few minutes being patted on the back by Enby.

"Water? Be there always water, small unnoticed streams. Not all beasts no to find them, but I do! And fish be there as well, and water plants for soup, mmmm."

Kith jumped down from her perch on a pine branch, and pulled Loto to his feet, "Well come on and find one! I've been through one water rationing and I don't want to have another! Move yerself, coon!"

-----

Latrans rushed through forest, following the strong scent of otter. He reveled in his own strength, combining with the strength of the pack to make an unstoppable force. The sounds of the lesser creatures scurrying to get out of his way. They weren't silly enough to get in front of a coyote pack on the hunt!

Yapsnout was running along side him, by rights, Ami should be on his other side, but she had chosen to stay and keep the rest of the village under control. He didn't wonder, she was not in favor of taking slaves, she believed only in hunting for food. Ah well, he'd deal with Missy Coyo later.

There was prey to be hunted….

-----

Ami paced through the slave pens, searching out the weakest of the slaves. Most were strong, so they wouldn't be 'let go' in the first place. She sighed in exasperation. Why did Latrans need to kill the slaves anyway? Why did they need slaves in the first place? They'd never needed them before in the history of the pack. But then Latrans had come to power, he had insisted that bringing slaves, hunting for more then food, would make the pack strong.

He was right in a sense. The pack grew confident at their power. The woodlanders were subdued, but Ami knew it would not be long. These woodlanders would rise up soon, especially if they were under the leadership of any of the coon clans.

She didn't want her pack destroyed because of one coyote's madness and ambition.

-----

Loto froze where he was, his paw dangling in the stream. Wait for it…wait for it….THERE! He scooped with his paw, and a sparkling fish flopped onto the back.

"Quick you! Grab it before it finds it way back!"

Mari, a stocky female otter, snatched at it, and got it on the first try. She looked it over admiringly, as it was placed on the campfire to grill.

"Quite a big fish for such a small fisher, where'd you learn to do that?"

Loto was still dangling his paw in the stream. "My father taught me, did he. All us are fishers." He glanced at the baking fish in alarm, "Wash that did you, wash that?!"

Mari shook her head, "Just came out of the stream, why would we need to wash it?"

Loto stared at her as if she had grown another rudder, "_Always _wash your food first, should you! Never have you done that?"

Everybeast gave him the same look back, but it was Kith who answered,

"We wash vegetables, but that fish just came out of the stream, Loto. It's quite alright to eat."

Loto nibbled his claws for a moment, then went back to fishing, worrying slightly what his Mother would say….

-----

There, no real clifflie. I'm saving them up...bwahahahaaaaaaaa!! Anyhoodles, thanks again to Skillfecraze, and to all who have reiviewed, you made the fifty reviews mark!!!


	9. In which Neaj is discovered

Okay, okay, they arn't getting any longer, sorry. I'm TRYING! But being used to writing one-shots doesn't help... But anyway, onward!

-------------------------

Jove had watched Missy Coyo closely ever since she had let Neaj escape. The alpha female had taken to lurking around the slave pens, paying close attention to the oldest and weakest ones. The others might think she was choosing those that would be 'let go', and they were right in a sense.

Ami glanced over at where she was supposed to be grinding flour. Jove quickly looked down at her work, hoping the coyote would ignore her.

She did, and Jove breathed a small sigh of relief. She would have to be less obvious about watching, or Missy Coyo might think she was too nosy to keep around…

-----

Neaj sat down on a log, panting for breath, and taking small gulps out of the water skin. He had been on the run for almost three days now, and the pack hadn't caught him, by now his scent would be old.

They probably wouldn't bother anyway, he was old and almost useless to them.

Except as food. He shuddered.

The sounds of many voices caused him to dive into the hollow below his log, and wait, trembling. The pack?! No, there was no scent of coyote. Who then?

The answer came when the face of a red squirrel girl popped in front of his.

"Hi you, are you hiding from me? I don't bite, honest. Well.. okay, maybe I do when I'm very, very mad, but not now. So you can come out, k?"

Still trembling, Neaj backed farther under the log.

"G…go away! I mean it, I'll fight you!" he winced at how pathetic he sounded.

Kith, for it was she, cocked her head at him, eyes curious. "Well I hope you realize that I'll win. You look rather emaciated to me, and further more I'm armed. Never threaten to fight somebeast without looking them over for weapons, that's an important rule, Granpa Mousie."

Neaj bristled at that, "Who you callin' 'mousie'?"

Kith grinned, "You, obviously. Now are you gonna crouch under that log all day, being offended, or are you gonna come with me and get sommat to eat? We've got some fresh caught fish over here, and Aden makes wonderful hotroot soup. Coming or not?"

The smells of the food she'd been describing had made their way to Neaj's nose, and his resolve cracked.

"What…what sort of beasts do you have in your camp?"

Kith turned herself right-side up, and extended a paw to help him up, "There's me, an otter crew, and a raccoon that goes by the name of Loto. We're explorers, you needn't fear us."

The crew watched in amazement as Neaj downed an entire bowl of hotroot soup in one gulp.

And asked for more.

His appetite was endless, he devoured half a fish and four more bowls of soup.

"Why'd y'ave to go pick up a mouse with the appetite of an 'are, Kith?" muttered Dren.

Neaj gulped up the last of his fifth bowl guiltily and put it down. "S'not her fault, I've just been on the run for three days, and haven't had time to eat much."

Lyfo handed him a slice of traveler's bread and patted him on the back, "Ol' Dren 'as to 'ave something to complain about all the time, s'nothin t'do wit' you. Eh, what were y'runnin away from?"

Loto spoke through a mouthful of fish, "He's a coyote slave, see that, can't you, see that? Coyotes be the only ones with slaves in our forest."

Neaj hunched his shoulders and nodded. "I didn't really run though. I was sort of…let go. By the Alpha female, Ami Coyo."

This caused some commotion, as those who had been sipping their water at this pronouncement tried to speak at the same time, thereby causing them to cough for a few minutes.

Loto's ears shot up, "Ami Coyo? Latrans's mate? Did she, why did she do that? Risks banishment does she. No coyote in their right mind would risk such a thing!"

Neaj shrugged, "Dunno, I was harvesting corn, and she ordered me to go fill a water skin at a stream, when I got to the stream, she said, start running and don't stop till you're out of coyote territory."

Then his fur bristled, "Oh dear, you're the ones the pack is hunting, you've got to leave right away, they'll catch you!"

Lyfo placed a calming paw on his shoulder, "Calm yerself, we ain't going anywhere soon."

Neaj was trembling by now, "You don't seem to understand! The pack _always_ catches its prey! They take all of you into slavery, and kill those that don't come quietly, it happens all the time!"

Kith growled and pawed her dirk hilt, "Let 'em try! I'll slit that Latrans's belly and leave it for the crows, iffin he tries anything slave-taking with _me_!"

Neaj glanced around. Everybeast shared Kith's sentiments. He started feeling slightly more confident, there's a first time for everything…and this might be one of those…

------------------------

Read Neaj's name backwards. Thanks to Skifflecraze and all reviewers!


	10. In which the fight begins

Um, the Neaj thing was a random Idon'tknowwhat, but thanks for guessing anyway!

---

Procy looked down on the encamped coyotes. They all were laying around, catching their breaths. He snorted, no lookouts whatsoever, he had made it up this tree right above their noses. Latrans was getting arrogant, arrogant enough to actually go after one of the Onida clan! Alright, admitted Latrans wasn't going _directly_ after Loto, but even so…

Procy froze as one of the coyotes glanced into the tree, and didn't relax as it yawned, got up and padded out of the camp. Perhaps to hunt, but Procy wasn't going to take any chances. He crept to the edge of the branch and grabbed one from the next tree.

Trying desperately not to move the branches more then a fraction of an inch more then was normal, he slipped into the next tree, and the one after that. Then he pulled a few branches around himself for camouflage.

The coyote came back with a pigeon dangling from his mouth. Procy shuddered, barbarians! He walked over to Latrans and dropped the pigeon in front of him, then, so quietly and subtly, Procy almost missed it, he whispered into Latrans's ear.

Procy leaned forward, trying to catch what was said. He heard 'in the tree to your left' and 'scented raccoon', and decided discretion was the better part of valor in this particular scenario. He hoped Loto remembered everything he had ever been taught about fighting.

-----

Kith crouched by a small, purple flower, trying to get each little detail exactly right. She wiped a smudge clean and added a touch of shadow here…now a bit of color…Lute suddenly grabbed her arm and dragged her up,

"C'mon, Kith! Aden's come back with news of the coyote pack! We've got to get ready, should a fight start!"

Kith's angry words at the ruined picture died on her lips as she ran with Lute to the center of camp.

Lyfo was directing the making of a barricade as they came up to him.

"Mari, put that bit right there, we don't want them sneakin' 'round our back…Tide! Count up our weapons, arr'rs and stones, specially."

He saw Kith and Lute,

"There ye are. Kith, Loto knows some good hidin' spots, an' he's takin' Neaj to 'em, as Neaj can't be expected to fight, I need ye to go wit' 'em and make sure they get there."

Kith's ears shot up.

"You're getting rid of me! I'll not be put on nursery duty!"

Lyfo grabbed her shoulders and gave her a fierce look,

"They need to be watched and I can't spare any o'my crew, Kithkin! If I 'ave to order ye as Captain, I will!"

Kith glared at him, then looked down sullenly.

"No…you don't have to... I'll take them," she looked up at him with a stubborn look on her face. "But I'm coming back to help fight, and you can't stop me doing that!" She then wrenched away before Lyfo could tell her any different.

-----

Loto was just as unhappy as Kith to be going away from the potential fight, but he went without much fuss. Neaj was trembling so hard that they almost had to carry him. Dren, scribbling furiously in his journal, insisted on being taken along too, he was a scholar and recorder, he said, not a warrior.

Loto went as fast as he could, sniffing out several excellent hiding spots a good distance away from the fight. Dren and Neaj scrambled up a tree, covering themselves well.

Seeing they were as safe as possible, Kith grabbed Loto's paw and scurried through the brush back to Lyfo's impromptu barricade.

"We can climb over, and nobeast will know we ever left," she panted to him.

"But what if the coyotes follow our scents to the mice?" Loto asked.

Kith hesitated, then shook herself and continued, "Then they would've gotten past us, and there'd be little we could do anyways. C'mon."

-----

Latrans sneered at the pathetic barrier the otters were setting up, fools! They had no hope, and yet they persisted in defying him! His pack encircled the barricade, waiting for his signal. He crouched low to the ground, scenting the air for any sign of skunk or full-grown raccoon. The young one was of no threat, though he should be careful that none escaped to bring word to the Onida clan. A feud would be bad for both sides.

No scent of skunk. Or squirrel, odd. Well, he would find the impudent rodent later, it was time for slave-taking.

He raised his nose to the afternoon sun and howled his sure victory.

-----

Lyfo held up a paw, as the coyotes circled in.

"I'll try to parley first, Lute, ye ready the archers, Aden, ye take charge of the slingers. Don't loose till my signal."

Latrans swaggered into Lyfo's sights,

"Greetings, waterdog. Be you ready to surrender? Or shall my pack rip the flesh from your bones?"

Lyfo chuckled,

"I'll give ye this, coyote, ye ain't short o'nerve. But me n' my crew like out freedom just fine, and no bushytailed, wild dog is gonna take it from us. Not w'out a fight, that is."

Latrans snarled,

"Then I shall respect your wishes and kill you instead!" He howled the command to charge, and threw himself at the barricade!

---

(insert evil laugh here)


	11. In which I duck many tomatoes

(waits for furious howling to stop) I updated, alright? Happy now? Good.

---

Ami watched as the bank vole stumbled into the surrounding forest, a water skin in his paw, and a half-filled basket of wheat over one shoulder. She'd done all she could, it was up to him now.

She turned back to the camp, a small sigh escaping her lips, was this what she was reduced to? Sneaking around the camp, letting a small trickle of the oldest and more useless slaves escape? If she were caught, Latrans would not hesitate to banish her…or worse. She flinched at the thought.

-----

Lyfo released his arrow a split second too early. It whizzed right over Latrans's head, nicking his ear. Blood spouted from it, and Latrans howled in fury. He dived for Lyfo, biting at the otter's throat!

Lute shot two coyotes in their bellies, looked up, and saw the trouble Lyfo was in. Shouting a war cry, she leaped onto Latrans and whacked his middle with her bow. Latrans flew though the air, hitting the ground hard. He scrambled to his feet and lunged for Lute, she managed a shot that hit his shoulder, before he was on her!

Lyfo got up and grabbed the scruff of the Pack Leader's neck and swung him around, giving Lute time to roll out of the way. Latrans snapped at Lyfo, and got a hold of his paw. Lyfo drew his belt knife and struck at Latrans's face. Latrans let go, and backed away, starting to circle Lyfo.

Around them, chaos reigned, otters grappling with coyotes, and coyotes clashing with otters. Latrans spat towards Lyfo's footpaw,

"You fight well, water-dog. You would make a strong slave. I say again, surrender and I spare your life, as well as that of your water-dog pack. I do not make this offer lightly!"

Lyfo dropped his bow and drew his other knife,

"Go to Hellgates, fleabag."

Latrans growled,

"So be it, you die now," so saying he leaped for Lyfo's throat again. Lyfo slashed at him, cutting a long scar across the coyote's muzzle. Latrans shook the blood out of his eyes and lunged again, preparing to doge. Lyfo stepped out of the way at the last second and sliced at his side. Latrans was able to avoid the worst, but the knife cut deep into his left flank. He bayed in outrage,

"I will not be toyed with!"

Lyfo chuckled mirthlessly,

"Then don't make it so easy."

-----

Kith leaped over the wall of branches, just in time to see Latrans dive for Lyfo's throat. Screeching her outrage, she bounded across the battlefield, swinging her loaded sling and brandishing her dirk. Alerted by her screech, Latrans turned in time to duck the sling. Kith struck out with her dirk, anticipating Latrans's dodge. She cut another furrow down the coyote's muzzle.

Latrans howled again, spattering Kith with his blood. She ignored it and hit out with her sling, scoring a hit on his foreleg. There was a sharp _crrraack!_ And both knew Kith had broken something.

Yapsnout had been closely following his Pack Leader, but was separated when Aden put an arrow shaft through his ear. He was almost going to kill Aden, when he saw the trouble Latrans was in;

In danger of being beaten by a squirrel girl! He leapt off Aden and piled into Kith, knocking her unconscious with one paw strike. Latrans scrambled up, and howled the retreat, then growled to Yapsnout to grab the squirrel. Yapsnout did so, knocking aside the otter captain, who dared to try and rescue her.

The coyotes jumped over what was left of the barricade and disappeared into the forest.

-----

Loto stared in horror at the wreckage around him, wounded and some dead otters, and dead coyotes, all the others having left. This was nothing he'd ever seen before. Nor was it something he'd ever wished to. The smell of death was horrible.

Mari was getting the wounded together and checking them over, looking harried. Lyfo was shouting to the non-wounded, catching sight of Loto he strode over and demanded to know where Dren and Neaj were.

Loto pointed in the direction,

"Coming soon they be," suddenly realizing there was somebeast missing he scanned the wreckage wildly "Where be Kithkin, where be?!"

Lyfo's grim face made him even more worried, "Be not, she dead?!"

Lyfo shook his head,

"Dunno, mate. Th'coyotes took 'er. I dunno whether she's dead'r alive, but as soon as we can get goin' we're goin' to find out."

---

(tries to stop giggling) um, is it enough for a T rating? I don't think so, but if you do let me know.


	12. In which Kith has an enormous headache

Sorry for the wait people, there was some um...mixups. Thank you for your patience.

---

Kith was waking up, and the first two things she knew were;

1. Her head hurt. Scratch that, her whole BODY hurt, from her ear tips to her brush. Ow.

2. She was tied up. A good reason for a big tantrum, if she didn't hurt so much.

Keeping still, she opened her eyes a slit (even that hurt) and flicked them around. Coyotes, their scent was all around. Brilliant. She was in an underground den of some sort, but there didn't seem to be anybeast in her line of vision. She listened carefully, but there wasn't any sounds of breathing in the confined space.

Alright, time to get free.

Her dirk and sling were gone, but she had expected that. They had missed her belt knife though, a small, slim dagger, good for cutting, and picking locks. She twisted her paws until it was at a good angle and sawed at the ropes holding her. They gave way quickly under her sharp blade and she wretched her paws away to start the circulation again.

She sawed at her bound footpaws and was up in a trice.

Now to see where…

Oh dear.

There was a coyote staring at her from the entrance, through a curtain of weeds and vines.

It…she?…kept staring at Kith, an unreadable expression on her muzzle.

Kith slowly sat down again, no sense in attacking after all. The coyote came through the curtain and sat down also, eyes never leaving Kith's face.

Kith could wait no longer, clearing her throat, she asked the first question that came to mind,

"Er, ehem, where am I?"

The coyote was quiet for a moment longer, then spoke very quietly,

"You, red squirrel girl, are in the Camp of the Pack. And your days are numbered for daring to attack the Pack Leader."

Kith blinked,

"Um, I don't suppose the fact that he was going to kill my captain will do me any good."

The coyote smiled grimly,

"No. You be right at that." She didn't seem willing to speak voluntarily, so Kith asked another question,

"Well, I'm Kithkin, what be your name?"

The coyote leaned back, her eyes flicking over Kith appraisingly,

"I am Missy Ami Coyo, Alpha Female of the Pack."

Kith nodded,

"Pleased to meet you, I'm sure. Why'd you come to chat with the condemned?"

Ami's face twisted at Kith's impudence,

"Have you no manners at all? Know you that a single word from me would save your life, or end it swifter?

Kith shook her head, keeping her face straight,

"I'm a stranger here, I don't know anything about your customs, rules, laws, whatever. And I'm not the type to grovel for my life, thank you very much."

Ami smiled a real smile,

"Ah, a beast of courage I see. Very good, you will need it in the time to come."

So saying, she got up and went out of the den. Pausing in the entrance, she looked back at Kith,

"Try not to wander off, there are sentries posted at both entrances to this den."

Only after she had gone, did Kith realize she hadn't said a word about the belt knife.

-----

Jove watched as Ami came out of the holding den, nodded to the sentry, and went into her own den. Quickly finishing her job, Jove grabbed hold of the bank-vole who was assigned to feed the prisoner.

"Let me do, please."

The vole shrugged and handed her they tray of food. Jove nodded her thanks and hurried to the den. The coyote guard glanced at her, then at the tray and nodded. Though he did grab a piece of the bread as Jove went past.

Brushing past the vines, Jove got her first real look at Latrans's prize captive.

A squirrel girl, reddish color, slightly taller, and older-looking then Jove herself. She eyed Jove suspiciously,

"Who are you?"

Jove placed the tray down, and mumbled,

"I'm Slave Jove, your meal, miss"

The squirrel's head snapped back as though she'd been hit, a look of disgust on her face,

"_Slave?_"

Jove nodded, and backed out quickly. She would be whipped if she talked anymore to the squirrel, the guard was listening and taking note.

The squirrel glanced at the food then ignored it, she tried to say something else to Jove, but the rabbit was already out and away.

Going back to the pens, she thought over what little she knew;

The squirrel had been brought into Camp unconscious, and Latrans was very beat up. The story was that the prisoner had done most of that, but Jove wasn't sure how much to believe.

-----

Kith sat, her knees pulled to her chest, thinking. Why was she still alive? She had attacked the Pack Leader, as Missy Coyo had pointed out. And such leaders usually didn't stand for such beasts as HER to live very long, not if they wanted to save face.

So why hadn't he killed her yet?

The answer came slowly, he obviously wanted to do it in a big, ceremonial way in front of his Pack. Not a nice thought, though it did provide her a way of escape. Somewhat. She was still alive, that was good, she knew Lyfo and the otters wouldn't leave her, but they wouldn't be able to travel fast.

She was on her own.

She grinned, this might be fun…

---

Kith is disgusted because she hasn't had much dealings with any slavers in past life...but that's another story...


	13. In which there is much verbal sparring

Am doing my utmost to prevent Kithkin from turning into a Sue, if you see any warning signs alert me at once. Thank-you. (this public service announcment has been brought to you by the Sue/Stu Prevention Society)

---

Latrans lay on his stomach, trying not to let his wounded muzzle touch the sandy ground. The squirrel girl would pay dearly. He would kill her in the most public, humiliating way possible. No mere Hunt was good enough for her, that gave a sporting chance. No, one on one combat, neither armed. She wouldn't stand a chance.

He rose, and went out of the den. He felt better already.

-----

Kith had _just_ curled up for a small nap, when the guard that stood at the entrance came in, grabbed her by the scruff of the neck, and pulled her upright,

"Get up squirrel girl. Pack Leader wants you."

Kith scratched at his paw and was dropped onto the ground. Sneezing the dirt out of her mouth, she picked herself up and spat to him,

"You're precious 'Pack Leader' wants me, tell him to get me himself!"

The coyote guard growled and grabbed her scruff again, tighter this time,

"Nobeast speak of our Pack Leader this way!"

Kith struggled to no avail,

"Well now I do! Let me down you…!" This was followed by unprintable words which made the coyote snarl a lot.

Dragging the thrashing squirrel to the center of the camp, the guard dropped her at Latrans' feet,

"Here is the prisoner, Alpha."

Latrans gave him a withering look,

"Yes, I can see that, Yadder. You are dismissed," turning his attention to Kith he barked sharply, "Hold your tongue, squirrel girl! By the Hunt, you have one of the foulest mouths I've ever heard!"

Kith got up and brushed herself off calmly.

"One picks it up here and there, those wounds are nasty looking, you should see a healer."

Latrans snarled,

"You will pay for your impudence with your life!"

Kith blinked at him, all innocence,

"You yell a lot, are you upset about sommat?"

Latrans howled, throwing his head back for the full effect,

"You do not know what you are dealing with, squirrel!!"

Kith smiled cheerily,

"Actually, I think I do. You are Latrans Coyo, Pack Leader and all around bully. I am Kithkin of Mossflower, healer, herb lister, and warrior when I need to be," she smiled sweetly. "To be contrary to your previous statement…YOU, my coyote bully, have NO idea whatsoever, with whom you are dealing."

Latrans snarled,

"Think you that all these titles will impress me?"

Kith shrugged,

"They ought to, but I guess you wouldn't know anything about Mossflower."

Latrans stuck his muzzle into her face,

"You are digging a deep and slippery grave, squirrel."

Kith pushed his muzzle away,

"What did you have for Midday? It's still on your breath."

Latrans let out a long, low growl,

"Your impudence doe not serve you well here, squirrel."

Kith propped her paws on her hips,

"Rarely ever does, but there you are. And why do you keep calling me squirrel? I have a name, it's," slowly and deliberately "Kith…kin. Perhaps you didn't hear me the first time, but I _did_ say it before-"

Latrans' paw hit her stomach, knocking her to the ground, and pinning her there. His face, covered in not-quite-healed scars pushed into hers. And his breath really was terrible.

"You are only alive because I intend on making an example out of you. I will kill you in the slowest, most painful way possible, and you will _beg_ for death long before it comes…"

Kith blinked, subdued for a moment.

A moment only.

" I _did_ mention your breath, right? Perhaps you need to be told things twice, is that it?"

Latrans pushed her body harder to the ground, driving the air from her lungs,

"You are just as hard of hearing it seems, your days are numbered, and _I_ am the only one prolonging them."

Kith gasped for air as the coyote eased up a bit. She glared up at him, all joking and impudence gone,

"You have a big image of yerself, coyote. Who's to say whether or not I'll be the one to shorten _your_ days? But you big-headed types never think that way, you have too much of yourselves in your heads for any proper thinki-"

She was cut off again by Latrans' paw.

When he let up a little bit she was too preoccupied with trying to breath to needle him again.

Latrans smirked at her gasping,

"Not so smart without air, hmm? A pity you must die, this gets quite amusing."

Kith had had enough, no flea-ridden, wild dog was going to toy with _her_, please and thank-you.

Grabbing the coyote's paw with both of hers, she kicked at his chest and pushed to the side, off-balancing him. Latrans staggered, then snapped at her, a half-second too late, Kith had wriggled away and was standing out of reach too his left.

She crouched down, waiting for whatever he would do next. Which was to jump for her.

Kith's best trick was to _not_ be where her attacker was, as she wasn't very good at taking hits. So when Latrans landed…she wasn't under him.

Waving cheekily, Kith bounded for a hillock, scrambling up and for the clump of trees she had observed when being taken from her prison. Nobeast caught a otter in the water, and nobeast caught a squirrel in the trees.

Which was probably common knowledge among coyotes, because the Pack was running from all directions, seeming to be intent on keeping her from those lovely trees.

Meanies.

Vaulting over the back of a burly, female coyote with teeth problems, (she got a good look as she was being snapped at.) Kith dodged several most likely fatal blows, and raced across the small bit of flatland that led to the tree grove.

Unfortunately for her, coyotes are fast over flat areas. Her tail was nearly snapped in two as Yapsnout (there might be a connection there…) caught it in his jaws and yanked.

Kith let out a shriek of pain and fury as her claws lost contact with the ground and she went sailing through the air into the middle of the coyote Pack.

Oh…Drat.

They surrounded her, growling and snapping into her face. Latrans shouldered through them all, a nasty sneer on his muzzle.

"Nobeast escapes from the Pack, but I suppose you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

Drat it.

---

I have an unhealthy obbsession with cliffies, you may attack me if you wish (is barricaded in room) but I'm PREPARED!


	14. In which Loto meets a robin

It's rather annoying to have people following my story along and not even bothering to leave one review. You know who you are. I hope you lot see this, acting wonky again.

---

Loto hurried away from the otter camp to look for a bird. If the otters were unable to go after Kith right away, he would do it himself! Birds were the best way to go about it, they saw everything, and were hardly noticeable. If he could find a robin, they were the friendliest, he could at least send a message. The Onida Coon clan never stole eggs as other clans occasionally did, and birds were unfriendly to all coyotes

His ears perked. There! A robin's song floated down from a branch high above his head. He scurried to the base of the tree and looked up, waiting for it to finish it's song before getting it's attention. It was horrible manners to interrupt a bird's song.

"I am the Keeper of the Bear

I bring Her Here

I take Her There

Oh, what a special Bond we share

The Truth is plain

We truly Care

And if you see us on the street

There is a Bear you'd love to meet

Why just to pet Her

Is a treat

No reason to be scared,

No…

I am the Keeper of…

I am the Keeper of…

I am the Keeper oooff…

Theeee Beeeaarr!

I am the Keeper of the Bear

When Winter comes

I am prepared

She keeps me warm in all her hair

You'd think she'd mind

But _Au Contraire_

And though it seems a little odd

We're like two peas within the pod

To me she is a Gift from God

The Joy that we both share

Yes…

I am the Keeper of…

I am the Keeper of…

I am the Keeper ooof…

Theeee Beeeaarr!

When somebeast comes a-prowling

My bear begins her Growling

To let them know their Plan was not so bright

And though she'd always rather use her Bark and not her Bite

If Push comes to a Shove

She'll never shrink back from a Fight

It's best to heed our Warning

'Lest you meet a Grizzly End

Though to be sure

We'd much prefer

To have you as our Friend

Yes…

I am the Keeper of…

I am the Keeper of…

I am the Keeper ooof…

Theeee Beeeaarr!

The robin held the last note of his song for an amazingly long time, while Loto bounced on his footpaws from impatience. Finishing the last note, and seeing the raccoon at the base of his tree, the robin fluttered down and took a bow.

"Thank you, thank you, most kind of you to stop by to hear my Masterpiece. My own composition, did you know that?"

Loto shook his head, trying not to show his impatience,

"Very nice song, it is. Please, robin, I am looking for news. Know you what the coyote Pack are up to? Captured a friend of mine, they have."

The robin stopped looking offended at Loto's indifference to his masterpiece and became serious.

"Coyotes? Hmm, perhaps your friend is not alive anymore, thought of that have you?"

Loto shuddered,

"No…No she is not dead. Attacked and hurt the Pack Leader she did. Make an example of her he would."

The robin cocked his head, curious,

"_Really?!_ That's very, very interesting, when did she-?"

Loto interrupted,

"Please, if you haven't heard anything, I have to be going," he turned back to camp, holding back a sigh. Usually birds had such news.

The robin hopped down in front of him,

"Wait, wait. What is your friend's name and what is yours, young coon? Pr'aps I can find out more."

Loto sat up, looking more hopeful,

"I'm am Loto Onida, and her name is Kithkin. Now I really must get back to our camp."

The robin cocked his head, watching as the little coon disappeared into the brush. He stood still for a minute, then fluttered in the opposite direction that Loto had take. Latrans had finally gone far enough…

---

Kith didn't want to open her eyes, as she knew she was once again tied, and this time she couldn't feel her belt. So…no belt knife. The cheery thought that she wasn't dead was squashed by one word;

_Yet_.

What a drag.

It was strange, the coyotes didn't attack her at all when she fell right into the middle of them, just made sure she didn't escape. She'd been grabbed, hustled back into the den and retied, but not without inflicting several good injuries on her captors.

None of which had been Latrans, the coward.

She finally opened her eyes and stifled a yelp as the face of Ami Coyo stared back at her. The coyote had the same impassive look and didn't even blink as Kith snapped her head back in surprise.

"It's about time you woke."

Kith pushes herself up with her bound paws, using her tail for balance,

"I do _beg_ your pardon, most rude of me to not take time to heal from the extensive wounds, which my most gracious hosts have given me."

Ami's impassive look flickered for a moment, and Kith wondered if the coyote was trying to hide a smile.

"It was foolish of you to try to run. I did warn you, squirrel girl."

"I believe I went through this with your Pack Leader; it's Kithkin, and I will be addressed as such."

Ami's mask _did_ drop this time, and she snarled,

"_You would do well to remember your manners!_"

Kith was forcefully reminded of Latrans' same demand. What was it with these coyotes and respecting them? She was a prisoner, for star's sake, she was _supposed_ to be disrespectful. That or terrified out of her wits, which wouldn't do at all.

"I do remember my manners, but it seems very bad ones to be captured, tied, and hurt, so I think we're even."

Ami sat back and sighed,

"Yes, yes, you are right, of course. This is not right."

Kith blinked, unsure of how to respond. This coyote didn't give her the same feeling of 'bad guy' as Latrans did, and her instincts were pretty well-honed in that respect.

Ami sighed again and leaned forward. Kith resisted the urge to scoot away as Ami pulled at Kith's bonds. The rope-vines came off easily, and Kith wondered how good these beasts really were at tying knots.

Massaging her wrists, Kith looked questionly at Ami,

"I'm not sure your Pack Leader would really approve, miss."

Ami looked away,

"No, he wouldn't…" then, getting up with a strange expression on her face, she turned to the entrance, "But then he shouldn't be getting what he likes ALL the time. It's very bad for him..."

---

Disclaimer; The Keeper of the Bear is a song by Randy Stonehill, I mearly tweaked it somewhat to fit the story because it's such a fun song, the end sentence is also tweaked from Tamora Pierce's line 'but regents who get everything they want become spoiled, and nobody likes spoiled regents.' Because I love quotes :) and that one in particular


	15. In which is the penultimate peril bit

I love the word 'penultimate' :D

---

Jove watched Ami out of the corner of her eye as the coyote padded back to her own den. Swiftly grabbing the small allotment of food, she raced over to the prison den, bowed to the guard, and slipped in.

The squirrel was sitting upright, an odd look on her face. She looked up as Jove came in, slightly startled.

"Oh…hi you." She glanced at the food and raised an eyebrow, "That's all for me, is it?"

Jove ducked her head, not meeting her eyes,

"Pack Leader says just enough t'keep you alive,"she mumbled.

The squirrel rolled her eyes,

"Wasn't blaming you, frankly I'm surprised I'm getting anything."

Jove set the food down in front of her and backed away,

"Perhaps Missy Coyo had something to do with it…she does not approve of starving others."

Kith cocked in ear in her direction,

"Does she have a lot of power around here?"

Jove shrugged,

"She has influence over Latrans as his mate, and if he were to die she would be Pack Leader."

Kith's eyebrows shot up at that, but she said nothing. Jove suddenly realized she had been in the den far too long and scurried out, bowing hastily.

Kith leaned back, contemplating. The coyote female didn't like how Latrans ran the Pack, and she would take over if he were to die. Most interesting. Was Missy Ami going to use Kith against her mate? Seemed likely. And Kith HATED being used…

---

Lyfo leaned against a tree, watching as a coyote guard snapped at a squirrel carrying a basket.

"Not very observant, are they?" He remarked to Neaj. "We been sittin' 'ere quite a while, an' he ain't even glanced in our direction."

Neaj was crouched low, looking intently around the slave pens,

"Hm? Oh, no they don't pay much attention to the forest unless something obvious moves, or the wind carries a scent, or a slave makes a break for it," he glanced toward the camp, but he wasn't in a very good spot to see much.

Lyfo shook his head,

"Not a very good way t'keep watch."

Neaj sighed and pulled back,

"No, but nobeast has attacked the coyote camp in, well, quite a few seasons."

Lyfo bared his teeth in a wicked grin,

"Makes it easier for us, where be this friend o'yourn? They ain't seen us yet, but I don't want t'be pushin' our luck."

Neaj shrugged and started back to the crew's hiding place.

"I can't seem to find her, she is often used by Missy Coyote, or she might be in another of the fields, and wont be in again till sundown."

Lyfo followed, shaking his head,

"An' do you know y'can trust 'er t'keep 'er mouth shut?"

Neaj nodded, looking slightly miffed,

"I'd trust her with my life, even if she is rather young!"

Lyfo chuckled,

"Good, cause that's exactly what you'll be doin'."

---

Jove set down her basket with a sigh of relief, and hurried for the stream to clean up. She ducked her ears in the water, and wrung them out, wincing at the cold.

"Hist!"

Her ears shot up and she looked around wildly.

"Be more discrete then that girlie, thought I taught you better!"

The voice was familiar, and one she hadn't she'd ever hear again.

"Neaj?" She whispered, slowly washing her paws, not looking around anymore.

"It's me, Jove, I found the strangebeasts the Pack was after. Quick now, where's the squirrel girl being kept?"

Jove shoke her paws to get the water off them,

"The small den where all prisoners are kept, a guard at each entrance all the time. Latrans allows her enough food to keep her alive, and he plans to kill her tomorrow noon. Whatever you do, it better be fast."

She couldn't stall any longer, the guard was giving her a warning look. She got up slowly and headed for the pens, her mind whirling.

---

The two of them walked into a group of pine trees, where the crew was making the various preparations for a skirmish. Loto hopped up and scurried over to them,

"See Kith, did you? See a way to get her, did you? See if she is alive?"

Lyfo placed a calming paw on the little raccoon,

"Calm yerself mate, we didn't see Kith, but we did see a den with a guard on it, so there's a good hope of her bein' alive."

Loto nibbled his claws worriedly, and Lyfo glanced at him, a little bemused.

"What's eatin' ye, mate? We're all worried, but you're almost in a panic. We'll get Kith, don't worry, she's been in worse fixes then this."

Loto stopped nibbling his claws and looked interested,

"Worse then coyotes? What?"

"Flesh-eating rats," Lute said from his other side.

Loto blinked and fell silent.

Dren looked up from his notebook, "So what is the plan, exactly?"

Neaj stooped and made a rough scetch in the dirt,

"There be the slave pens, here be the dens, they make circles, here be Latrans' den, and here be Kith's," he listed, pointing to each mark on the scetch. "She be in the middle circle, Jove says there's a guard at all times," he sat back and shrugged. "That's all I know, it'll take a miracle to get in, for sure."

Lyfo nodded, and was starting to point at the rough map, when there was a flutter of wings and a robin alighted on a branch beside Loto. He puffed out his chest feathers excitedly.

"Hello young Onida coon. You asked for help, and found it I have!"

---

Any guesses on who or what the help is? And the flesh-eating rats shall stay firmly in the memories of Kith, Dren and all the crew, I'm not elaborating :D


	16. In which we say goodbye sort of

Well...this is the end...sort of. I fully intend to follow it up with a SEQUEL

---

Latrans padded out of his den, his teeth gleaming in a hungry sneer. Today he would tear the squirrel girl to shreds, she had been well-fed and her wounds were healed, nobeast could say she was disadvantaged…except for the fact that he was a coyote Pack Leader and she was a mere squirrel girl. He jerked his head at Yadder, who nodded and went into the prison den.

There was a scuffling noise and Yadder appeared again, this time dragging the squirrel by her neck scruff. The squirrel writhed and tried to yell, but was choked off. Yadder dragged her to Latrans' feet and let go. She sat up, rubbing the back of her neck, and glaring daggers at Yadder.

"That was NOT necessary, _and_ it was rude!"

Latrans cuffed her ear,

"Your comfort is of no concern to me, so hold your tongue!"

The squirrel blinked up at him,

"It's not? If you hadn't told me, I never would've guessed, now," she got up and brushed herself off, "Say what's on your mind and be quick about it."

Latrans smirked, lifted his muzzle, and howled a summons. The Pack gathered quickly around them. Kith cocked her head at him,

"Finally going to make an Example of me, hm?"

Latrans lifted his lips in response, then turned to the Pack,

"This squirrel girl and the group she was traveling dared to oppose my Pack. They fought us, and killed several Pack members. She herself attacked _me_ and injured me. No mean feat, but she has shown horrible insult to our Pack, and for this she must die!"

The surrounding coyotes set up a howl as Latrans turned a leer to Kith. "Last words, squirrel?"

Kith opened her mouth to say something undoubtedly rude, but froze and stared past Latrans, eyes going wide. The coyotes in front of Latrans were flattening their ears and crouching low. He turned slowly, keeping his head and tail up, trying not to show uneasiness.

He stared down a very large muzzle into very large, dark, and angry eyes. He let loose a growl that sounded a bit squeaky to his own ears.

"This is not your concern, Bear Liwanu!"

The she-bear let out a much more ferocious growl,

"You have tried my patience far too long, Latrans. You hunted down strangers, killed, and took a prisoner on MY territory. I have warned you before about your despicable practice of taking slaves, and now it has gone MUCH too far!"

The she-bear swung back a paw and walloped Latrans across the side. He flew across the clearing and hit the ground with a wet "THUMP" and lay quite still. The coyote pack was silent, nobeast knew what to do…

Kith hopped over to the limp form and poked it. No response. She cocked her head and glanced at the she-bear.

"Well that was rather anti-climatic."

---

Extract from the writings of Dren Aver

Kithkin has aired the opinion that the cleaning up of these things always takes so much longer then the fixing of them. Be that as it may, I much prefer the cleaning up. It has been two weeks since the she-bear, Macawi Liwanu shouldered past our crew and…wacked the nasty coyote tail over ears. I have never seen a beast larger then her, she bigger then three Badger Lords and twice as intimidating!

Since then, the 'Alpha Female' of the pack has spent her time making sure she'll be obeyed, or some such thing. I havn't really been paying much attention to that part of it. She's been letting the slaves out of their pens and sending them off to find wherever they came from. The Onida coons have been helping with that. Procy Onida showed up the day after Latrans died and has contacted many families from all over.

The rest of us are hunkered down on the outskirts of the coyote camp, waiting for Lyfo to announce where we're off to next…

---

Kith stretched lazily by the fire, flipping through her notebook, and making occasional notes on the pages. Loto was in a tight ball on the other side of the fire, fast asleep. Kith sighed and shut her book. The past fortnight had been, well, interesting at first, then unbearably dull. Macawi had lectured Missy Ami on forest ettiquete and propriety, being a bear telling a coyote how to run a Coyote Pack, and so on, then left.

Kith had found Macawi to be rather stuffy, but one can be almost anything one wants when one is that size…

After that Ami was busy getting the Pack under her control. It wasn't easy at first, but what with an otter crew and a she-bear behind her, nobeast really had much to say against her. The there was the whole business of returning the slaves…

Kith shook her head, it was time for them all to be off. But winter was coming, 'twas right around the corner in fact, and nobeast as yet knew what Lyfo was planning for it.

The tramp of foot paws shook her out of her reverie. Wet otters flopped down, laughing and shaking the water from their pelts. Kith sent a dark glare to Lute,

"I was warm and dry, then you came…"

Lute grinned and shook herself extra hard, soaking the squirrelmaid all over. Kith sat up with the greatest dignity, and walked over to where Loto was sitting up, rubbing his eyes. She sat down, still dripping, and began to open her notebook slwly to see if there was any damage done to it.

Lyfo stroad into the camp, claping his paws for attention.

"Quiet crew, pack yer things, we're leaving at dawn."

Everybeast stopped rough-housing and turned to him, Aden posed the question they were all wondering,

"Where do we be bound, Lyfo?"

Lyfo smiled,

"We're headin' back to the _Seaseeker_, berthin' there for the winter and setting across country in the spring."

There was silence for a moment as everybeast digested this, then chaos broke as they all jumped to breaking down shelters and packing up their equitment. Kith made a little pile of her things then walked up to where Lyfo was pulling down a tent.

"Cross country?"

He nodded, focusing on folding the tent,

"Procy says the forest ends 'bout three weeks journey to the west, then it's wide, wide plains, goin' on as far as anybeast can see in any direction. And nobeast from this forest has ever been across it."

Kith grinned,

"Nobeast _yet_."

Lyfo nodded,

"Exactly matey. Nobeast _yet_."

---

(sniffles) I'd like to thank the academy for voting me to..(checks paper) oh wait wrong speech (finds another) HERE it is (ehem) Thanks to my beta for being such a wonderful sounding board (she's gone and changed her name, and I forgot the name :P) For all my readers and reviewers, **Zealak Silverdirk, Sorcha O'Reilly, Clouded Horizon, Hamish (anon), storiewriter, Sabrepaw, Elspeth25, Kerichi, HaloEver, Glissoning Raven, AnAspiringWriter, DarkStarPhoenix, 'Pename here', Bent Archer, **and** Gemsbok. **

Thanks for all your suggestions, critique, patience and yelling at me whenever I had a cliffie :D. I shall add my next story in two weeks in order that I shall have a good head start and not have to skip any weeks in future.

And further more if you read any Redwall book you should know that almost every single main bad guy is killed even quicker then that.


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